


I Was Transported to Another World and Became a Member of the Heroine's Harem

by ZZSlider



Category: Original Work
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/F, Fantasy, Fantasy Races, Female Protagonist, Fiction, Harems, Heroine's Journey, Isekai, LGBTQ Female Character, Magic, Original Universe, POV First Person, Polyamory, Romance, Yuri, in another world
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-18 16:42:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28621251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZZSlider/pseuds/ZZSlider
Summary: It usually goes a bit different in the stories I read on Earth.The protagonist checks their skills, discovers their cheat ability, and wanders around a forest. This of course leads to them seeing damsels in distress, probably slaves or royal refugees, using their newfound abilities to fight off the bad guys and reap the rewards of unending devotion from the now freed women.I thought that things were supposed to turn out that way for me too, instead of just about the exact opposite.
Relationships: Original Female Character(s)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	1. Chains and Flames

**Author's Note:**

> I had an idea for an isekai story and couldn't sleep until I got it out of my head. I'm not super confident in my writing ability, but I hope you have a good time experiencing my gay fantasies.

I feel like this was supposed to go a bit differently.

You've read the stories, a person's down on their luck, mysterious circumstances occur, and boom. In Another World. Sure, that part lines up. 

I was plucked from Earth on the first day of my new job at a local non-profit. I barely stepped inside the small office building before my sight went dark, and everything changed. I was alone in a lush forest, with a rumpled pencil skirt, white blouse, and a "Hello, My Name is Selene" nametag. 

So the next part of the story should have been: the protagonist checks their skills, discovers their cheat ability, and wanders around the forest. This of course leads to them seeing damsels in distress, probably slaves or royal refugees, using their newfound abilities to fight off the bad guys and reap the rewards of unending devotion from the now freed women. A great gateway into the weird 'ethical' slavery that the isekai authors seem so obsessed with. 

I thought that things were supposed to turn out that way for me too, instead of just about the exact opposite.

I had only just stood up and then, WHAM. Knocked right back to the ground by a blow to the back of the head and immediately unconscious. 

When I woke up, I was surrounded by a group of unscrupulous folk unlike anything I had ever seen. They wore dark gray leathers, hooded cloaks, and thick boots that had clearly seen better days. Various weapons hung at their sides, a sword here, a dagger there. A couple of bows. One of them, who I could only assume was the leader, stood tall at the front of the rocky clearing we were in, backlit by the campfire burning in the center. Soot-colored chains were wrapped around his arms and legs like armor, the excess length of each somehow floating in the air behind him. Well, except for one. The chain on his left leg trailed through the air straight towards me, and I only then noticed the cool sensation of metal around my neck. I was collared, connected to the chain, and ropes bound just about every part of my body that might have been able to move.

It was hard to understand what was going on, my mind was still reeling from the blow to the head. It didn't feel real, even though all my senses pointed toward this being not even close to a dream. Then, I heard the leader speak.

"A great find, a great find for sure. We'll be rich as kings and fat as pigs after this, boys." Was that a language he spoke? It didn't sound like one, being not much more than a few sharp grunts and hand gestures. And yet I could understand it. His gravely barks didn't sound like a noise that a person could make, and I could just make out the sight of a short snout from beneath his hood. Probably not a human then.

He must have detected that I was awake, because I was harshly yanked forward, falling over to the ground at his feet. I had to jerk my head to the side to avoid getting a mouthful of dirt. 

"She wakes! Good to see, good to see for sure." Crouching down, he used his boot to twist my face towards him, giving me a good show of both his many sharp teeth and ice blue eyes. Despite the circumstances, I was suddenly reminded of my uncle's Siberian husky. This man was clearly bigger than that old pooch, and I'd assume several times more vicious.  
"We're moving out in the morning, make sure to sharpen your blades and fangs. It would be no good to be preyed on by another, no good at all." 

Pretty sure that line was in reference to me. 

I couldn't do much more than lie on the ground as the other members of this group (slavers probably) got to work on their equipment. They were mostly silent, though there were several grunts of frustration coming from a member a few feet away from me as they struggled to sharpen a dagger with only one hand. Oh, their left arm was missing, ok. Aaaaand they dropped the knife and their grindstone. Maybe the lack of an arm was a new thing? In any case, with a look of frustration they jumped to their feet and stormed off into the forest. The dagger lied still on the ground, and I got an idea.

I managed to wiggle the ropes around my torso just enough that I could at least move my forearms, even if my hands were still tied. I subtly shimmied myself over, seeing if I could get close enough to slice the bindings on my wrists. It'd be something at least, and with free hands I could maybe get off the rest of the bindings. But not the collar, there was no way I was getting that off without alerting the leader and I doubt I could take him in a fight. I've never even punched somebody. So there goes that idea. 

I slumped back onto the ground in resignation and rolled over so I wouldn't be lying on my chest. Even if I somehow took down the leader, there was still the rest of the slaver group to deal with, and I probably couldn't get away on foot. I wasn't exactly athletic. 

The back of my head throbbed in dull pain. I was bound by rope, collared by metal, and lying down in dirt. I let out a deep sigh. 

For as unreal and awful as my life was right now, at least the night sky was pretty. Blues and greens traced the stars in ways I had never seen before, making for unique and colorful constellations. Two bright lights streaked across the night, leaving red trails that slowly faded to black. More followed shortly and I couldn't help but stare. The shooting stars had me mesmerized. 

"Where is Ra'lit?" The big bad leader barked a couple members of his group who jolted to attention, both pointing in the direction that the one-armed slaver went. 

"Well go fetch them for me, they need to be told of their new position in our clan."

The two looked at each other and grunted in unison. And off they went. I had absentmindedly listened in on their talk, but it wasn't like I could do much with the information. Back to staring at stars, I guess. 

High pitched yelping sounds came from beyond the tree line, right where the two slavers had run off to. The air of the encampment changed, becoming tense and silent. The only sound that I could hear was the sharp crackle of the campfire. 

Then the two slavers' bodies flew above my head, slamming one after another into an unfortunate slaver on the other side of the clearing. From the forest, two women emerged. 

The first was rather short, maybe four and a half feet tall, and dressed in what I could only think of as an old-fashioned maid outfit. The frilled, black and white piece covered most of her body, leaving just her head and feet to be seen. A rounded layer of grey feathers were fitted around her head like hair, parted to the side to reveal her small face. Big eyes and a thin beak gave a distinct bird-like quality to her appearance. If there were husky people in this world, then this was probably an owl person. The talons on her feet were also a dead giveaway. 

And if owl people exist, then the next woman must be a dragon person. Donned in a simple red and gold breastplate alongside smaller pieces of armor, her red spikes and scales were hard to miss. Tall as she was, she stood almost three heads above the little owl lady. Wavy, crimson hair spilled over her shoulders, weaving under two sets of curved horns. I thought I could even see a leathery set of wings behind her. 

As impressive as she was in stature, it was her face that truly drew me in. A tan complexion, sharp eyes, defined cheekbones, she was most certainly beautiful. Rather than that though, the expression she held was captivating. Eyebrows pulled in; eyes slightly narrowed. Lips pulled into a grin, showing off her own sharp teeth and some of the smoke behind them. She looked fierce. She looked fiery. She looked more confident in this one moment than I would probably be in a lifetime. 

"Those of you with any honor come before me! I shall grant you judgement!" She bellowed into the clearing, breathing a stream of fire into the air along with the words. A different language than the grunts I heard before, this one clearly had smooth-flowing words and punchy exclamations. 

"Surround them! We'll negotiate first and then take them down as a pack!" The leader grunted out his orders and the slavers swiftly moved into position. 

"Gh-ack!" The collar knocked against my airway as I was tugged along. The metal pulled upward against my neck and began to lift me into the air, my legs falling out from under me. I quickly moved my hands towards the collar, desperate to bring it back down, or move my head above it. 

The slavers now surrounded the two women, weapons drawn and ready to strike. 

"Dragon, you bless us with your presence, you bless us for sure." The leader's gruff voice pulled off a warped version of the dragon woman's language. "But we need no judgement, for we have done nothing wrong, nothing wrong at all." His eyes flicked towards me and back to the woman. Is presenting me to her his way of saying everything is out in the open? 

My own brown eyes met the dragon lady's bright green glance. A flash of some emotion (confusion maybe?) scrunched her face before returning to a proud smile. 

"Ha! A brazen statement if there ever was one. Even if the Secretariat can pardon slaving, I cannot. You will surrender yourselves to fire or I will raze you myself."

A snarl, then a smile. "Surely there is a way for both of us to be happy, surely? You say you dislike slaving but this one will go to one of the most respectable figures in the land. Of course, that cannot be called slavery, not at all. I can even offer you coin in exchange for our safety. It is amenable, of course." The other slavers hands moved towards their weapons.

I did my best to keep myself in a position where I could breathe, but my fingers were starting to lose what little grip they had on the metal.

"H-H.." While I still had my breath, I tried to plead for help but no words would come out. Was my throat that dry? No... Was it the collar then?

"Enough, wretched dog. Dishonest words will not sway my mind. My decree is that your band will become the ash to fertilize the new spring growth. Rishi, Olivia, to action!"

A pained yelp came from my left as a slaver was stabbed from behind by... a tiger woman? I only got a glimpse of her before she pushed off the body and backstepped out of my sight, though I could hear her quick feet behind me. 

The slavers caught off guard, the owl woman sprang out towards my right, suddenly holding a very large greataxe. I shut my eyes as she met her quarry, but the sound of flesh being chopped made me imagine the sight anyway. 

The two women went to work on the dozen or so remaining slavers, leaving the dragon lady and the leader dog to duel. The chains around the leader's other limbs began to unravel themselves, rolling in the air ominously. 

The woman reached to her side and unsheathed a snow-white longsword with a pitch-black hilt. She held it close to her body for a moment, before running it by her face. When her fire-breath hit blade, it seemed to leap to life, sweeping around to fully enclose the sword in a wreath of flame. 

With a beat of her wings she charged forward, slashing at the leader with her burning blade. Blocked by a dark chain, she ducked back as two more lengths whipped through where she just was. 

The slaver rushed to the side, chains lashing at the air, and the true fight between the two began. 

Ringed metal and flaming sword clashed together in the night, sending sparks flying with each impact. It was like watching a firework show, but if the fireworks were a few feet from your face, and you're still struggling to breathe.  
Despite the battle between the two, I had remained where I was in the air, the cold chain firmly fixated in space.  
As if he had just remembered I was there, the slaver swung me towards him, placing me right in the path of the dragon woman's sword. There was nothing for me to do but stare as her eyes widened in shock. She tried to pull her arm back, just stopping the blade from cleaving me in two, and taking a wicked lash to the body in exchange. The force of the chain slammed her to the dirt, the other chains quickly slithering in to restrain her arms and torso, pinning her in place. Her sword fell out of her grip and bounced uselessly on the hard earth.

"A mighty dragon, laid low by one such as I. It is truly an honor, truly." 

Ah. My would-be savior, this beautiful hero, on the ground because I was used as a human shield. This could easily be the worst day of my life.

But the chains didn't keep her down. I watched in awe as the woman began to get back to her feet. The pressure from those chains must have been immense, I saw her body straining and shaking against them, but they didn't keep her down. They couldn't keep her down. She raised her head towards me, showing me that wonderfully confident face.

"That was quite the blow you gave to me. It is only fair that I return the favor!" She grabbed onto the chain wrapped around her wrist and yanked, hard. The surprised slaver flew towards her and in one fluid motion she buried her right fist deep into his abdomen. Her arm glowed a dull orange light and a shockwave of force spread from the impact. I swear that time stood still for a moment, before the slaver was punched down into the earth, the dirt exploding upwards. The dust settled soon after, revealing a small crater around his now limp body. 

Their master unconscious, or dead more likely, the magical chains went slack, the collar slid off my neck, and I fell. Though instead of a landing on the solid ground, I was swooped up by a pair of strong arms. The dragon woman held me gently, though I knew from the quivering of her muscles that she was using the last of her strength. 

Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew that I should be able to breathe again, but I couldn't help but hold completely still while I was looking at her right now. For as unreal and awful my life had gotten in the last day, I had a hero holding me in her arms and I couldn't feel safer. 

"Breathe," she said. 

I took in a huge lungful of air, blowing it out quickly, repeating the process two more times and then three more after that. She just held me all the while, staring back into my eyes. A gentle and self-assured expression rested on her face. I gulped audibly and gathered my courage. 

"Hello, my name is Selene."

"My name is Hera. It is a pleasure to meet you Selene."


	2. Swords and Stews

"You're slooow Hera, way too slow. We've been done on our end for like, five minutes."

Oh right, there were other people. I looked over my shoulder from my spot in Hera's arms to see the tiger woman haughtily walking towards us, stepping over a number of dead slavers on the way. 

Now that she wasn't darting in and out of my line of sight, I could finally get a chance to see what she was about. 

The tiger part was definitely the most eye-catching aspect of her appearance. Thin orange fur with black stripes, a swishing tail, perky ears, and a very slight muzzle to top it off. The fur on the top of her head was longer than the rest and resembled a rough pixie haircut. Her outfit was a little puzzling, being an awkward combination of a pitch-black cheongsam and leather armor. It did fit nicely around her lithe figure, though I don't know how much protection you'd actually get from a piece like that. 

"Hmm, so I see! I truly still have room to grow. Thank you for your assistance as always, Rishi." 

Rishi stopped in place and quickly turned her head to the side, muttering something under her breath that I could barely make out. 

"...'S nothing...my job anyw..." 

She started to fiddle with her dagger, turning it over and sliding it against the shortsword she had in her right hand. Both were a polished silver in color but dyed red from use and dripping from the latest kill. My eyes followed one drop of blood as it rolled from the middle of the sword to the tip and fell off, making a tiny crimson splatter on a fallen slaver at her feet. I could feel my stomach churning from the sight.

"Selene, can you stand?"

Hera's voice snapped me from my gory thoughts, and I remembered where exactly I was, my face heating up.

"O-oh yeah, yes, I'm fine."

I wasn't fine, but it wasn't fair to make her hold me for any longer, not when I knew how tired she must be. 

"I, um... Thank you. For catching me, oh! And freeing me too! I really appreciate it..." 

...What a strange sentence to hear myself say. But I actually was freed from a pretty bad fate, huh. I wasn't in custody for long, but who knows what would have happened if Hera's group hadn't come. Well, I guess I was going to be sold to someone. My face scrunched up at the idea, and I lightly touched a hand to where the collar used to be. 

How disgusting. 

"Hey you!"

"Ah! Y-yes?" 

Startled, I hastily looked back up to see the bloody point of Rishi's shortsword mere inches from my face, tilted slightly upwards to compensate for the difference in our heights. My vision blurred trying to focus on it. 

"You're fine, right? You're saved, right?" Her sharp voice was only emphasized by the deadly weapon aimed at me. "We were already running late and tracking your captured-ass took foreeeeever, so get yourself together and get out of here. We don't need even more dead weight slowing us down."

"A-ah..." I could hardly hear her words over the blood pumping in my ears. I rushed to back away, but my shaky steps took me right in the path of a discarded bow. It rolled under my weight, and suddenly I was falling again. 

Before I could tilt too far, a small hand pushed against my spine. Its firm pressure quickly put me back on my feet, and I turned my head to see the short owl girl behind me.

"Oh, thank you... um... Olivia?" 

She gave me a small nod, either accepting my thanks, confirming I had her name right, or both. I waited for a more substantial response, but her blank expression made me think that I wasn't going to get one. 

"Rishi! Sheathe your sword! Can you not see that you are terrifying her?"

The tiger woman's ears and tail immediately shot up at Hera's words.

"Wha-! But I'm-!"

"Impatience is no reason to point a blade at a vulnerable soul. We will get where we need to go with more than enough time to spare." 

While I wasn't looking, Hera had taken a seat next to the still burning campfire. Her longsword was now back in her hand with the sheathed tip digging into the ground for her to use as a support. I must not have caught it before, because I now saw a scaly tail laying at her side. She took a deep breath and gave Rishi a gentle look. 

"Your concern is most appreciated, thank you for thinking of our timeframe. How about you head back to Kanae and help her set up camp at that lovely grove you found? We will take care of the rest here and join you after."

A pregnant pause hung in the air.

"...Ok."

Her ears now flattened against her head, Rishi turned around and flicked the remaining blood off her weapons before tucking them into the sheathes on her lower back. She gave one last glance at the draconic woman and made her way towards the treeline where Hera and Olivia had originally emerged from. I felt myself let out a sigh of relief. Having a sword pointed at me wasn't something I wanted to experience any time soon and the look in her slitted eyes was way too scary for me to handle. 

At least she seemed remorseful about it on the way out? 

"Selene, you may want to rest by the trees for a bit."

"Huh?" I switched my gaze away from Rishi’s departing figure and back to where Hera was sitting.

"Like I mentioned, we still have to take care of this." Hera swept an arm toward to the carnage around her. "It will take some time, so I would ask you to wait for us to finish."

Take care of it how? And I wasn’t sure if it was really alright for me to just sit aside after they've just done me a huge favor. I wasn’t exactly in perfect shape, but she must still be tired too. 

"I could help? If it's alright for me to." 

As an answer, she gave me that same warm expression that sent Rishi away.

"Thank you for your offer, Selene. But I have rested enough and Olivia is here as well. Please, wait for me."

It was the sort of tone that was too kind to argue with. Plus, I would have probably just gotten in the way. I nodded and took the que to step aside. 

I moved over to the edge of the camp, being careful to avoid any bodies. My back hit the hard bark of a tree and I let myself slide down its trunk. Now that I had a second to think about it, I was pretty exhausted. Maybe getting captured, struggling to breathe, being rescued, and the whole experience of being ripped from my daily life were all catching up to me. Maybe Hera noticed how I was feeling before I did. 

My head tilted up towards the sky and from under my tree I could see that the constellations were all still there. Orange and blue now, but otherwise the same as far as I could tell. Somehow, I felt like there was more there, that there were a hundred thousand extra stars that I should have been able to see but were hiding from my sight. 

Was the sky ever this nice to look at back home? Mom used to love stargazing, but after moving further into the city we stopped going to the observatory outside of town. Maybe she'd get into it again if this were the sight she saw.

These thoughts swam around in my head as I stared at the stars, slowing feeling my eyes close on me. 

"The usual, Olivia. Gather anything useful and pile the bodies. Then, we will send them back to The Flame."

-x-

The nose-tingling scent of cooked onions wasn't the funnest way to come back to consciousness. Immediately my eyes started to sting and well up with tears from its irritating chemicals. I guess even here I'm just still too sensitive to them. Moving my hands to my face, I tried to rub my eyes and see if I could get some relief, but it didn't help at all. Doing that never helps. The only thing I actually managed to accomplish was slipping my contact lenses off and knocking them into the grass beneath me. Great. 

"Oh my, dear. Are you alright?"

That was a new voice, and it didn't seem like the kind of tone that would come from Olivia. Much too mature and adult sounding, but maybe I was making too many assumptions. I tried to open my eyes with a squint, and though it was blurry and a bit painful, I could just make out a large feminine form above me. 

I was taken aback by just how big this woman was. She was probably at least six and a half feet tall, which just seemed larger from how I was laying on the ground. She crouched down to get closer and now I could clearly see her purplish-red skin, heavy-lidded eyes, and two vertical horns rising from her forehead that parted her silky black hair. A multilayered, black and plum purple dress clung loosely to what, from here, seemed like very generous assets, even for someone of her height. 

I got so caught up in taking in her appearance that I almost forgot she had asked me a question. I stumbled to get out a reply as I propped myself up on my arms.

"Ah, yep! I'm totally fine. I mean, um, my eyes are hurting a little from the smell, but that's no big deal."

I opened and closed my eyes furiously to see if I could blink out the pain, but it didn't help at all. Doing that never helps. 

"Well, if that's all, then perhaps I can give you some relief."

"Oh, that's not really-"

But she had already reached out to grab me, swiftly pulling me into a warm hug. My face found itself smushed against her full chest and my brain stopped functioning. Just for a second, I could only focus on the feeling of this definitely-not-human's soft embrace. It was just too comforting, and that was before the magic. 

That's what I'm assuming it was at least, as a strange sensation started to envelope my head. It was as if a ghostly body of water was slowly rolling around me. It didn't last for long, but I could feel the relaxing energy washing away my exhaustion. When the liquid-like 'something' faded, I noticed that my eyes were no longer stinging. They felt great even, totally refreshed. Even the headache from my skull getting whacked had disappeared. 

"There you are sweetheart. You should be all better."

She let me go, and I fell back onto my hands, folding my legs underneath myself as I regained my bearings. Now returned to the onion-y air, it still stung my eyes a little, but it was nowhere near as bad as before. 

"Uh, th-thanks." Even if I was feeling a little sheepish, I still had to express my gratitude. "It's a lot better now, from whatever you did."

"Whatever I did...? Do you mean the healing spell?"

Magic confirmed then. And I also gave away my complete ignorance on the subject.

"O-of course, yes. That, the healing spell really helped. I appreciate it."

She gave me a concerned look, but it quickly shifted into a motherly smile.

"Well, I apologize for the trouble, I'll be sure to take better care of the onions in the future. For now, dinner will be ready in just a moment. Excuse me, love."

Just how many pet-names did this woman have to use for me? It could be worse I suppose, but her intimacy was a making me a little uncomfortable right now. I wasn't exactly going to comment on it though, there’s no way that I’d be that rude. 

She stood up and made her way over to a small fire with a pot hanging over top via a metal tripod, stirring its contents and checking the flavor. 

Ok, now it's time to figure out where I am. Loosely scanning my surroundings, I saw that the other woman and I were in a green and grassy area, a different part of the forest than the hard, dirt campsite I was in before. Not quite big enough for me to call it a clearing, but enough for it to fit a fire and a couple of thick rugs placed around it. Leaned up against one tree were few backpacks of varying sizes, one significantly larger than the other three. Otherwise, it was fairly empty, with no sign of Hera, Olivia, or Rishi. 

Though my head was crystal clear from that healing magic, I knew that if I didn't fix my eyesight soon then I was going to get another headache. My vision wasn't the worst, just somewhat nearsighted, but it still made lenses a must-have for me. Especially if I wanted to drive to work or be on the lookout for a new batch of slavers. I really didn't want to be in that position again.

Anyway, I turned to look for where my contacts had fallen to see them delightfully smudged into the soft earth. They must have gotten pressed down at some point in or around the hug situation. Ok, sure. Luckily, I always keep an extra set of contacts in my handbag. Which wasn't here. Fabulous. Maybe the slavers took it? Did it even come with me when I was dropped here in the first place? I honestly couldn't remember at this point. Getting knocked out probably didn't help my memory either. 

Luckily, I am always double prepared. I reached down into my now very-wrinkled skirt to search the inside pockets I had sewn on. Ah, yes! It was still there! I pulled out my emergency glasses case, only to see that it was seriously dented. Please, please, please, don't be broken. I slowly opened the case to see...that the glasses inside were fine, if a little bent. Finally, a bit of good luck. 

I slid the tortoise shell frames onto my face and immediately felt better. Putting on my glasses always feels like a breath of fresh air. I usually preferred them over contact lenses, but I thought it would be fun to wear contacts for my first week on the job and then surprise my coworkers by wearing glasses afterwards. Not like that was going to happen now though. 

Going back to my skirt pockets, I found my emergency cellphone, the cheapest flip-phone on the market, completely totaled. It was snapped six ways and the plastic was falling off everywhere in between. It really wasn't built for durability. I should have probably bought one of those old brick-looking phones instead, but I didn't have 'thrown into another world' in mind when I made the purchase.

Lastly, I still had my emergency one-hundred-dollar bill, just as crisp as when I put it there this morning. I scoffed. Yeah, I'm sure this will come in handy. 

I heard footsteps coming from my left and quickly put my glasses case and pieces of trash back where they came from.

Walking into the small campsite were the missing three: Hera, Olivia, and Rishi. They cut a unique image when besides each other; Hera, just about six feet tall; Rishi, about a head beneath her; and Olivia, another head smaller than the tiger-like woman. Not to mention how different their color schemes were. 

"You're all just in time, the food is hot and ready to serve. Take a seat dears." 

The horned woman at the fire had a ladle in her hand and was starting to fill wooden bowls with whatever onion-infused dish was inside the cooking pot.

Olivia quickly sat herself down onto a rug and eagerly held out her feathery hands for a bowl. Her owlish expression betrayed no emotion, but she must have been pretty excited to eat. 

"Selene, you are awake! Excellent, come and eat with us. I am sure you could use a hot meal."

Hera held out her hand for me and I accepted the offer. I got pulled to my feet only to sit down again about five steps later, nearby Olivia. I was handed a bowl of what was looked like a hearty stew and Hera sat down on the other side of me. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Rishi slowly make her way over to the group, placing herself across the fire from me, and giving me hard stare. I wouldn't call it glaring daggers, but it certainly wasn't comforting. 

Once everyone had a bowl, the tall chef moved into a spot next to Rishi and I saw her put a hand on my secret admirer's thigh. That made the tiger woman ease up a little, and she started to eat her portion.

Up close, the scent of the stew was much stronger, but it didn't seem to bother my eyes much. It did very much make me aware of how hungry I was, my stomach rumbling and mouth starting to salivate from the promise of food. I hadn't eaten anything since the morning, and who knew how long ago that was at this point. It was still dark out, but I didn't know if that meant ten at night or two in the morning.

"So," Hera began, after downing a few large spoonfuls, "Let us do some introductions for our guest. I will go first, though you already know my name."

Ahh, here it is. The part where I get to learn a bit more about where I am and who I'm with. The part where they get to learn about me in turn. There was probably going to be a lot of questions. I looked down at my ruddy bowl of stew. I don't think I'm ready for this, but it's not like there was an escape route here. 

I took my first sip of the meal and felt the warm, well-spiced, onion-filled, rich flavor fill my mouth, and I swallowed it along with as much of my fear as I could. After all, running away from Hera was the last thing I wanted to do right now.


	3. Races and Reactions

"I am Hera, proud draconid, Princess of Arcvell, and Hero of Fire. It is my honor formally make your acquaintance." 

She finished with a small bow and a bright grin. If the campfire and stew didn't warm me up, then seeing that smile of hers sure did.

I took a moment to process the nuggets of information she just gave me. Draconid was probably her race. It's nice to know the name; I wasn't sure what to call her other than a dragon woman. Which still seems accurate, to be fair.

But a princess, huh. And a 'Hero of Fire,' too. Yeah, that makes sense. Being both is probably something really special, but that sounded about par for the course for an isekai story. I'm in another world and a gallant figure saves me with a fancy flaming sword, treats me like a damsel in distress (rightfully so), and even has a maid companion. So, if I was going to think anyone would be a princess-hero then it'd be Hera.

My lack of a reaction must have caught Hera's eye, as she spoke up quickly.

"Have you heard of me before? You do not seem surprised."

"Oh, no, this definitely is the first time I've heard of you. I was just thinking that you fit those titles perfectly."

I tried to finish that sentence with a smile, but I think it came out somewhat awkward. I was being honest, but she seemed dissatisfied with my answer. I guess it wasn't what she was looking for, but she moved on soon enough. 

"You are much too kind. Well, the avian to your right is Olivia, paladin of The Flame, and my trusted attendant. Please forgive her for not introducing herself, she tends to prefer not to speak."

I glanced at Olivia who was wholeheartedly devouring her meal and might have been on her second serving already. 

"It's nice to meet you...?"

She did meet my eyes briefly, blinked, and then dove right back into the stew. Alrighty then. An axe-wielding maid girl's gotta have her priorities. Where did that huge weapon go anyway? I remember seeing it during the fight, but not at all after. I'll file that question for later.

Back to her introduction, was a 'paladin of the Flame' different than a 'Hero of Fire'? They sounded pretty similar, but I bet there was some nuance there that I was missing. There's still a world's worth of context I'm missing in general so I should just take it as it comes right now, I can fill in the gaps later. Also, avian. That's another race checked off the list. Two more to go.

Hera motioned for the large woman next to Rishi to go next. She really was something to look at, and I felt my cheeks warm in recollection of the deep hug from earlier.

"Hello, dear. My name is Kanae, and I am a humble oni priestess of The Night. I'm very glad to see you enjoying my food. It was made with a lot of love, specifically for a girl who could use a heaping dose of it right now."

I could definitely taste the effort; this stew was incredible. I was surprised someone could make something so delicious over a campfire, and even the onions were tasty. It was good. Too good, too warm, and it tasted too much like my stepdad’s cooking. My eyes started to grow misty from remembering where I wasn't right now. I was supposed to be at my parent's house tonight, celebrating the start of my new career. Even my sister was going to be there, having just returned from overseas. I... I didn't expect to be this emotional about it right now, but here we are. I sniffled and finished my current spoonful. 

"Thank you, Kanae." I pushed up my glasses to wipe my eyes. My voice was delicate and on the verge of cracking. "This tastes amazing, it's, it's really good. Thank you."

My breath hitched as Hera's hand moved softly to my bicep and I felt her calloused thumb rub across my skin. I thought back to when she had me in her arms and drew in a deep, shaky lungful of cool night air, blowing it out slowly. It was going to be okay, one way or another. 

"...Again, thank you."

I took one more deep breath and forced myself to focus on where I was instead. In front of a campfire, surrounded by a draconid, avian, oni, and whatever Rishi's race was called. That was the last one to discover. 

What else did Kanae say? That she was a priestess of The Night? That sounded prestigious, staying in line with Hera and Olivia's titles. The terms paladin and priestess strongly hinted at there being some kind of religion here, and it follows that 'The Flame' and 'The Night' would likely be important parts of it. 

Speaking of terms, actually, I still was confused as to how I was understanding their language, because it certainly wasn't English. They clearly understood me too, so there was probably some magic nonsense happening then. That could mean that there was opportunity for our intentions to get lost in translation, but I hadn't gotten feeling than in the slightest. Our conversations so far have seemed pretty clear to me. Maybe I wouldn't have to worry about that.

"Rishi, would you like to introduce yourself to our guest?"

Kanae's voice made Rishi raise her head from her bowl and get back to eyeing me. 

"Rishi, the felinid, all-purpose, super-mercenary for hire. If it wasn't for me, you'd be dead or sold, so congrats. You got preeeeetty lucky."

"..."

...She wasn't making it easy for me to be grateful. I didn't doubt that she was right, but then she also pointed a sword at me and told me to buzz off. 

"Rishi was the one who initially found where you were taken and tracked the trail back to your captors." Hera spoke up to break the tension. "She is indeed incredibly capable; in terms of adventuring experience, she is leagues ahead of us other three. It is hard to imagine that we could have rescued you without her help."

Rishi turned to look away from Hera's words of praise and squirmed a little, wringing her hands together. 

"…Well, I'm me so it was easy... and it was only 'cause you asked..."

So, she wouldn't have done anything to help if it weren't for Hera. I'm feeling really thankful now. Ugh, whatever. I breathed in heavily and sighed. 

"Yeah, thanks. I appreciate it."

I tried to keep as much irritation out of my reply as I could, but Rishi quickly turned back to glare at me, her tail flicking side-to-side. I flinched under her gaze, and I felt Hera squeeze my arm again, to comfort me I supposed. If nothing else, it seemed like Rishi would do what Hera asked so I shouldn't have to be too scared of her.

More importantly, I've finally completed my collection of race names: draconid, avian, oni, and felonid. I feel like there should be a prize. These were clearly all fantasy races, with the features to match. If I somehow still thought I was on Earth than this could have been the final nail in the in-another-world coffin. I think that I've done a good job of keeping up with all this so far, but I wondered if I was going to hit my limit soon. This really was a lot of information to take in and reading fictional stories can only prepare you so much. Though if it weren’t for them, I bet that I'd be a complete mess right now. A small blessing. 

I emerged from my thoughts to see my rescuers all looking my direction, expectantly. I guess it was my turn now. What am I suppose say here? Do I fake amnesia or just play coy and mysterious? Do I just go the honest route? Lying never was my strong suit. Plus, I don't think I could stand to intentionally deceive them when they saved me, not only from being in captivity, but also from being alone in completely unfamiliar territory. 

"Selene, if it is too much for you right now, then it can wait. We will understand." 

I guess my silence spoke for me; Hera's words were definitely a relief. But when my eyes focused on her, I saw her expression, her concern for me, and I made up my mind. 

"No, I'm alright, I can do it."

I decided to trust her, along with Kanae and Olivia. If it came back to bite me later then fine, but right now I wanted people to rely on, to put my faith into. I wanted to fulfill Hera's expectations, even if they were just to answer questions right now. Still, I took another moment to compose myself, straightening out my skirt and unruffling my blouse. As a finishing touch, I tossed my nametag into the fire. 

"Hello, my name is Selene. It's nice to meet you all."

That being said, where do I even start? Something like, 'I was just dropped here, and then things got worse'? That seems a little heavy. Before I could figure out what I was going to say, Rishi interrupted my thoughts.

"Hey, so what's an elf like you doing out here anyway? We're waaaaay too far from your kind's usual stomping grounds." 

Elf? That can't be right. I reached up to check my ears to be sure, because I didn't know what else I would check for confirmation, but they were as round as usual. Feeling around my face, I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary either, though I didn't have a mirror for reference. 

"Ah, n-no I'm not an elf. I'm human, see?" 

I pulled back my hair to reveal my ears, hoping that it would serve as appropriate evidence. Did I really look like an elf to them?

"Ooooh, a human," Rishi's expression shifted from disdain to curiosity, and she began to rise from her seat to inspect me. "I didn't think it was true, but there really are some left, huh? No wonder you were snatched up by those guys."

I... what? That's... not a great thing to hear. Rishi took a long look at the side of my head and reached out to feel for herself. I covered my ears with my hands and jerked away to avoid her grip. I really didn't want her touching me.

"Rishi, there is never a good reason for one to be kidnapped, and please give Selene some space for herself." Hera held up an arm, gently pushing the felonid away from me. "Though, I must confess that I would also like to know about your origins."

"I... well..." Okay, how to handle this... "I'm not from around here." That was already obvious. "I mean, I'm really not from around here."

I paused, trying to think of what to say next. They were clearly interested, even Olivia had stopped eating and was facing me. Though she could have just been full by this point, she must have downed at least four bowls.

"To be honest, just about everything you’ve all said is new information to me. I've never heard of Arcvell, I have no idea what a Hero of Fire is, and you're the first people I've ever seen that weren't human." I stopped for a second to let the words sit in the air. "This morning I wasn't anywhere near this forest, and then I suddenly found myself here. As soon as I came to my senses, I was some captured by those dog people, and, um, you know the rest."

Well, there it is. It's not the entire story, but it’s certainly the truth, and hopefully enough for the moment. So, now to see what they think.

"Bullshit." Of course Rishi would say that. "Hera, this girl's either nuts or lying. How could she have never heard about heroes? Or one of the five kingdoms? If you're a spy, then you've got the dumbest cover story I've ever heard of." 

"Are you feeling alright, dear? Your head isn't hurting?" Kanae chimed in next. "I've heard that amnesia can occasionally occur after traumatic experiences. I would be happy to attempt a remedy for you."

"I-, I'm not lying, and I swear I don't have amnesia." This was going about as well as I could have expected. "I don't know how to prove my ignorance I guess, but I can definitely say that I have still have all of my memories." I turned to Hera, hoping for some sign of acceptance. "Please, believe me."

The draconid seemed to be lost in thought but began to say something. 

"...If there has not been a sighting of a human for two-hundred years..." Hera spoke slowly, brow furrowed, and green eyes gazing meaningfully into my own. "...Then it would follow that a human would not have seen a non-human race, either. If that was the case, then they must also have been very far removed Loracian societies, far enough to avoid contact for that long in spite of those that have searched for them. That could explain the lack of knowledge regarding our affairs." 

Her words seemed to be aimed more at convincing herself, than for convincing anyone else. Though it was probably correct to say that Earth is very distant from whatever's going on here.

"Ok, maybe, but those aren't exactly new concepts. Being out of the loop for a couple hundred years wouldn't make you that unaware."

Hera kept staring into me, searching for an answer to the argument Rishi raised. If I really did want to put my trust in her, then I guess I had one to give.

"Hera, I-!"

"It is all right, Selene. I do not need your entire life story; you are entitled to your privacy. Rishi said it best, if you were out to do harm, then this is a truly absurd way to go about it. A human with as strange a background as you claim... No, I cannot come to call you a danger, especially not with how we met. Getting captured by slavers is hardly befitting of a demonic agent."

She tugged softly on my arm, and I didn't resist as she pulled me into a tight embrace. 

"If your words are to be trusted, then you were wrenched from your home and thrown into a terrifying situation." Her wings fanned out and folded around us, and I felt like they were shielding Hera and I from the rest of the world. It was just the two of us now as she spoke in a gentle tone. "I believe you, Selene. I am sorry for what has happened to you, but more so am I glad that we were able to reach you and grant you safety. As long as you are with our group, I promise that we will do our utmost to provide you with aid and comfort. On my title of Hero of Fire, I swear this." Hera finished, with a large smile that was just too much for me to handle.

I buried my head in her neck and hugged her back as hard as I could. She was so, so warm. I melted into her as I felt my fear and anxiety fade into the background. 

"Thank you." 

My voice came out so softly that I thought she wouldn't hear it, but she hummed an acknowledgement and shifted to hold me in a more comfortable position. 

"...It is my honor, Selene."

I don't know how long we spent like that. I got lost in her presence; the feeling of her heartbeat against my neck, the rise and fall of her chest against my mine. 

I can only say that while my entrance to another world was less then stellar, meeting Hera and her group was something special, and the start of a completely new life for me. 

I had never understood the stories with damsels in distress that pledge their undying devotion to their savior, and that certainly wasn't going to be me. But I do sort of get it now. 

When you can't help but feel admiration for your hero. When you can't help but feel safe when they treat you so well. When you can't help but fall in love, just a little bit.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
